All training lessons in this series can also be purchased individually. Links to these product pages can be found in the lesson outlines below. Click on the lesson title to open the product page specific to the lesson.

Learn to use Vue's normal pass to create unconstrained lighting situations from the original matte render; leaving you free to change lighting at any time, without the need to re-render the original scene. (Technique presented in Cinema4D and xStream, will work will any 3D application supporting normal maps. Will work with any version of Vue that saves a normal pass of the geometry in the scene.)

These techniques allows you to render an entire animation in the time it normally takes to render one frame, by removing all procedural and geometry calculations from the render. This also allows the usage of lower anti-aliasing settings and eliminates any potential terrain flickering during animation.

Any 3D application supporting normal maps. Even without normal map support, many techniques will remain useful.
Techniques possible with Vue 5 and 6 when using renders as an export method.

xStream

xStream is not required, although integration techniques are covered in the training.

Post and Image Manipulation

Techniques apply to any image/video editing, manipulation, or compositing application.

Training Presented in:

Vue 7.5 xStream

Photoshop CS4 Extended

Cinema 4D R11

Above: This image is a render of an optimized procedural terrain with its material created from the maps shown in the image below. With the use of the normal map, no detail is lost from the conversion. The polygonal geometry of the optimized terrain has been overlayed to a few parts of the image, to show how little geometry is used.

Below: The maps created from the edited render output of Vue's multi-pass, the material uses camera projection to retain detail on steep slopes.

Screen shots

Note: Image scales have been reduced for online viewing

Run Time: 50 Minutes

Explore the many image format options for managing zdepth. Learn how to extract the most definition and detail. Which formats work best for animation and still composites. Learn how you can use the zdepth render pass to create fog, haze, and dof post process effects.

Key Topics

The importance and differences of Z-Depth image file formats.

Format comparison and usage.

Multi-pass and G-Buffer options.

Multi-pass Zdepth vs Common Zdepth passes.

Edit zdepth renders.

Optimize file sizes and properly convert formats.

In Photoshop use the zdepth to create:
- fog and haze
- Dof (Depth of field) effects

? Check to see if your version supports one the following image saving formats. (Tif 16-bit) (HDR) (EXR)

Training Presented in:

Vue xStream 7.5

Photoshop CS4 Extended

Screen shots

Note: Image scales have been reduced for online viewing

Run Time: 74 Minutes

Currently vue does not create zdepth for atmospheres, this can make it difficult to modify HDRI images and scene composites. In this section of the training, you will learn to quickly modify scenes to create a fast rendering ZDepth pass, with an unlimited amount of cloud layers.

These techniques are compatible with any spectral cloud scene, as well as spherical, panoramic, and standard aspect cameras. Camera may be placed anywhere in the scene, including in cloud layers.
Learn to use lights to cut holes in cloud layers. Setup a color based cloud layer setup, and create a multi-use cloud mask where individual layers are easily extracted and defined.

The cloud mask render pass was added to Vue in version 7.5. If you need more control of the cloud mask output, or you are using a version of Vue between 6 - 7.4, with the knowledge gained from this training, you can gain the benefit of this extremely useful render output.

Application Compatibility

Production

Vue

6.5

7

8

- Infinite

Y

Y

Y

- xStream

Y

Y

Y

Y Compatible

Post

Techniques apply to any image/video editing, manipulation, or compositing application.

Training Presented in:

Vue xStream 7.5

Photoshop CS4 Extended

The images shown directly above are spherical scene renders, of the atmosphere zdepth techniques taught in the training. The lower halves of the images have been cut off to reduce space.

Learn techniques to render displacement map images up to 8k in less than a minute. The method is currently the fastest way to export a procedural terrain, it is also the only way to export a procedural terrain without having to bake the terrain to a memory hungry polygonal object. The process of baking a terrain is limited to a single core and will often cause the application to become unresponsive if trying to achieve an image result higher than 2048 x 2048.

Learn to create displacement map variations to create unique "roughness" details. These displacement maps are also an extremely useful solution for terrain export and generating normal maps. This technique can be used with any function, and is not limited to terrain generation or origin.

Learn to bake layered vue materials, creating both color and bump image maps. The maps can then be easily used and edited for painted mattes, export operations, openGL reference, or remapped directly back to the object.
This method frees up system resources and eliminated potential ecosystem, material scaling, and material flickering issues. Additionally it allows the easy separation of ecosystem render settings from intensely complex materials. This makes it easier to create composite render outputs and define anti-alias settings specific to the output. Since ecosystem vegetation is primarily alpha and transparency map rendering, which can require higher anti-alias settings on texture maps and fine geometry, you will be able to define terrain and ecosystem render settings independently.

Application Compatibility

Production

Vue

5

6

7

8

- Infinite

Y

Y

Y

Y

- xStream

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Esprit

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Pro Studio

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Complete

n/a

n/a

Y

Y

Y Compatible

Post Image Manipulation

Techniques apply to any image/video editing, manipulation, or compositing application.

Training Presented in:

Vue xStream 7.5

Photoshop CS4 Extended

Screen shots

Note: Image scales have been reduced for online viewing

Run Time: 30 Minutes

Key Topics

Learn to edit fractals and create create brushes for any painting application.

Set up numeric filters.

Control function number outputs.

Creating fast pure fractal renders.

Edit renders for smooth edge brushes.

Use photoshop masks and blending modes to customize brush creations.

Import the image into ZBrush for use as an alpha brush.

Application Compatibility

Production

Post Image Manipulation

Vue

5

6

7

8

- Infinite

Y

Y

Y

Y

- xStream

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Esprit

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Pro Studio

Y

Y

Y

Y

- Complete

n/a

n/a

Y

Y

Techniques apply to most image editing, manipulation, or compositing application.

Y Compatible

Training Presented in:

Vue 7.5 xStream

Photoshop CS4 Extended

ZBrush 3

Screen shots

Note: Image scales have been reduced for online viewing

Run Time: 75 Minutes

Learn matte painting techniques that any vue user can benefit from. Explore the process and techniques used to create the image shown on the right.